Five Years
by speechless97
Summary: It's been five years since Emily Prentiss and Derek Morgan met. Yet it's amazing how much can change in just five years. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

_Five years. It's been five years since Emily Prentiss and Derek Morgan met. Yet it's amazing how much can change in just five years. How much you can find out about a person, how many secrets of theirs you could discover, how close you can really get. The changes are subtle at first, but then one day you look back and are shocked at how different things are, how much that one person influenced your life. For Derek and Emily, all the changes seemed to happen in the same place._

_2.16, Fear and Loathing_

Morgan and Prentiss found themselves alone at the new diner. Derek had invited the whole team out after a tough case but somehow, all of them, except for Emily, managed to back out. So there they were, sitting across from each other, neither knowing what to say because for the first time they had a chance to talk about something non work related.

There was some smalltalk, about Kurt Vonnegut, about the last case, and then they settled into silence. Emily would've thought it would be awkward – that this whole dinner would be awkward, considering she'd only known the man for a couple of weeks.

And yet somehow, it wasn't. There was something about Morgan that made her feel calm – his presence was comforting and warm. It was like she'd known him her whole life. So that's why the long silence they shared felt comfortable, until his question broke it and made her guard go back up again.

"Hey Prentiss, you ever been married?"

Emily was stunned by the question, but tried not to let it show. She'd liked Morgan, but she couldn't help the little voice in her mind telling her that here it was, the sign that he was a complete douchebag, just like the rest.

"Why are you asking?"

"Well, if you're gonna be my partner, I've gotta have some dirty laundry on you.", he said, cracking a smile again. And Emily pushed that little voice inside her down, because he was joking. He was just flirting and kidding, and she took everything too fucking seriously.

"Nope, never married. No boyfriend either.", she said, deciding to play his game, but on her own terms.

She leaned closer to him across the table, until her face was inches away from his and bit her lip, trying to be as seductive as possible. She saw him swallow and his pupils dilate a little, and that's when she pulled back, smiling.

"Ohhhh, you are a _tease_, Prentiss. I like you already.", he said trying to pick up the shreds of his dignity off the floor as she laughed. But secretly, this comment meant everything to Emily. _I like you already._ It meant acceptance – something she'd craved her whole life. And that night, for the first time, she could really imagine a future with the team.

_3.03, Scared to Death_

By this time, it was always just them at the diner. The rest of the team never asked to come because this had turned into their thing, just the two of them. After a hard case, this is where they would go.

"So, Gideon's really gone?", Emily said, shaking her head. It amazed her sometimes how quickly someone can fall out of your life. One day they're there, the next they're just gone.

"Yeah, I guess he is. Damn, I understand why, but he at least owes Reid an explanation. The kid looked up to him."

Prentiss didn't know how to respond, so she just looked down at her pancakes, cutting them into a million little pieces. After a couple of minutes, she felt Morgan looking at her.

"I never got to tell you, but I respect what you did. With Strauss, and Hotch, and resigning. I've got to admit, at first I was pissed, but now I get it. But I wanna know why. You could've easily told her things about Hotch and stayed on the team – this is not an easy job to get. Why'd you resign?"

Prentiss' eyes widened; she couldn't hide that she was surprised by the question. But she had an answer, nonetheless. She was going to give him the truth, absolutely, because that's what he deserved.

"Strauss was threatening me with politics. I think politics makes people distrustful, and it tears families apart. Yeah, I wanted this job and I worked my ass of to get here, but I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of giving in to her little deal just to keep this job.", she paused. "Besides, this team, you're like a family. And what kind of person would I be to try to tear this family apart for my own selfish needs? You're all... so amazing, and honestly, I hoped to be part of the family someday. But I would rather quit and go out with dignity than go and tell Strauss a bunch of political bullshit that she wants to hear just to throw the best team leader I've ever had under the bus."

Morgan paused for a second, taking it in. And yet again, he found himself being amazed by her – he swore she was braver than most of the men he knew.

"You're pretty extraordinary, you know that?", he responded, meaning it more than she would ever know.

Emily just smiled and looked down, suddenly a bit embarrassed.

"And Emily? You already are.", he added "a part of this family I mean."

Emily looked into his eyes, seeing the truth projected there, and suddenly, she smiled, and everything didn't feel so bad. Gideon leaving didn't feel like the end of the world, and her days with Doyle just felt like a hazy memory. Because now, she belonged. She had a family who would help her through anything – and that was something Emily Prentiss had never had before.

_3.08, Lucky_

Derek Morgan sat alone in the empty diner, staring down at his own hands, thinking of Garcia. God, how could he let that happen to her? He'd promised he'd keep her safe, and now look what had happened.

He heard the click of heels approach and looked up to see Emily sitting down on the other side of the booth. "I knew I'd find you here."

"How's Penelope?", he choked out, each word feeling like acid in his throat.

"She's good, resting. We can't see her until tomorrow though. How are you holding up?", she said gently.

"I could've stopped this.", he looked up at her, needing to get it out, needing to tell someone. "I was thinking about going to Garcia's place to make up with her, but then I'd gone in that stupid church, and the only damn reason I went was to pray for the first time after what that man did to me twenty years ago. Somehow my whole life, all the mistakes come back to him and what happened... And I can't help thinking that there was something I could've done to stop him, to stop all this."

Prentiss looked in his tear-filled eyes, not quite sure if the last sentence was about Carl Buford or Penelope's shooter. But it didn't matter. Up until now, he'd been her rock. He'd always been the one comforting her – now it was time to turn the tables. She couldn't bare to see him hurting like this.

"Derek, listen to me.", she said, reaching and grabbing his hands across the table. "What Carl did to you – it was terrible. It was not your fault, and you know very well that there's nothing you could've done to stop him. But he did something great too – he made you the man you are today; one of the best men I know, and that is nothing to be ashamed of. The kind of man who's not going to give up until he finds Penelope's shooter, and the one who's going to be at her side when she wakes up, holding her hand. He did take a lot from you, but he made you who you are. And if you ask me, that's pretty damn great.", she said, giving him a weak smile and squeezing his hand before getting up again, leaving him to himself. She was never one to impose her company.

"Thank you.", he said, giving her one last squeeze of her hand before letting go.

She nodded and gave him a tight-lipped smile, all the confirmation he would ever need that she was here for him, always.

_4.03, Minimal Loss_

That day, the ride to the diner was silent. He hadn't even asked her if she wanted to go – hell, she probably didn't, but there was no way he was letting her out of his sight now. And besides, he needed to talk. And the familiar diner seemed to be the only place that he could.

They walked in and sat down at their regular booth, both staring blankly at the menu that they had seen a thousand times before.

"Emily... what were you thinking?", he said quietly, still not looking her in the eyes.

She looked up, not angry, because she expected this from him.

"I was thinking that I couldn't let Reid die or be tortured by that man.", she said simply, and he cringed at the idea. He realized he'd never thanked her for keeping Spencer safe. He'd failed at that too – protecting Reid, somehow, seemed like his responsibility.

"Thank you. The kid couldn't have handled that, not after Tobias."

She just nodded, going back to stare aimlessly at the menu. After a couple of minutes, Morgan spoke again, and it seemed like it was taking all his effort to get the words out.

"I just... I spent the whole time wishing it was me in there instead of you. I still wish it would've been.", he said, his expression pained as he looked at the bruises coloring her face.

She breathed in, the air slightly hitching in her chest, and let out an exasperated sigh.

"If it _was_ you in there Morgan, I would have spent the whole time wishing it was me. Two sides of the same coin. And this - what I did, how is this any less reckless than you driving off in that ambulance in New York?", she said, her voice rising up half an octave as memories forced themselves to the surface.

"Emily... you know that's what I had to do."

"And you know that I had to do this.", she said, absolution in her voice. And he understood, maybe too well. And there, then, they reached an unspoken agreement that they were even. "Besides, I'm okay. This is nothing."

He looked into her eyes, saw some flicker of uncertainty there, and he automatically knew.

"How are you really?", he said, voice low, hand reaching out to her across the table.

She shook her head and looked down at her lap for what seemed like forever. He didn't rush her though, and when she looked up, there were tears in her eyes.

"There'll be some damage. But I'll be alright."

"How 'bout I drive you home?", he offered, knowing that this offer was usually rejected.

But this time, she accepted. He drove her home and settled in on her couch, because it felt oh-so wrong to leave her alone on a night like this. He woke up in the middle of the night to her screaming and went in her room and turned on Friends and joked with her until she drifted off again.

That night, he was her anchor; something to hold on to when the world was drifting apart.

_4.09, 52 Pickup_

That night, Emily looked different walking into the diner. First off, she had much more makeup on than usual. Also, her hair was eloquently framed around her face, not down straight how she usually wore it. She had changed out of her dress, but she was still sporting the three inch pumps she had worn that night.

And, it's safe to say, everyone noticed.

She and Derek walked in and found their booth, ordering the usual meal.

There was some talk of the case, of Jordan, but then, out of nowhere came Derek's question.

"Have you seriously dated guys worse than Viper?", he almost burst out, and Emily was surprised, partly because it seemed so out of character for him to be so un-composed and partly because she had told that to Hotch, not Morgan.

Her confused face was enough to signal what she was thinking and he quickly answered.

"You had your earpiece on. We were testing it out."

She nodded, seeming to accept this explanation before moving on to answer the question. "Well, it's not like I can take my pick Morgan.", she said, a hint of accusation in her voice – implying, not so subtly, that not everyone was surrounded by suitors all the time like him.

Morgan's face changed from uncomfortable to completely dumbfounded in a matter of seconds. No, he thought to himself, she had to be playing up the modesty.

"What?", she said, confused by his shock.

"You really don't know?"

"Know _what_?", Emily seemed genuinely a little pissed now.

"The effect you have. Do you really not realize how many guys turn around when you walk into a room? God, Em, I bet you could get any guy you wanted.", he said, hoping she'd take it to heart.

Emily looked down into her lap, blushing slightly. God, what the hell was this? Emily Prentiss never had been one to blush.

"Yeah, sure Morgan."

He looked at her, hair falling ever so gently over her face, her porcelain skin shining, and he was completely mind-blown by the fact that she didn't believe him. And he swore, right then, to spend every day making her feel beautiful, no matter what it took.

"Hey, I'm serious. When I saw you in that club tonight, it took all the professionalism I could muster up not to hit on you.", he smirked. "Even Hotch looked a bit distracted, and you know how hard that is to do."

Emily looked up, smiling slightly. Maybe he was saying all of this just to make her feel better – maybe not. But that didn't matter, because he cared. She had someone who really cared how she felt, and that was what she'd needed all along.

She smiled wide, ready to turn back to their familiar ground of jokes and light flirting.

"Why didn't you? Hit on me, I mean?"

She was ready for a smile or a flirty comeback, but instead his face got serious.

"Because you, Emily Prentiss, are way too good for a damn pick-up line."

_4.17, Demonology_

Morgan looked through the diner window and sighed and the sad picture. There she was, just like he thought, alone, stirring a straw in her milkshake while tears gathered in her eyes.

He knew he probably shouldn't be intruding, but he couldn't leave her there like that, all alone. So he figured he'd go in and try to help, but he promised himself he'd leave at the first sign of her wanting him to. She needed her space, Morgan knew that.

"Are you okay?", he said, standing next to her.

She looked up, her hair still wet and sticking to her face, and shook her head. Morgan was a bit surprised – this was the first time she'd let him know that just maybe she wasn't alright, and he appreciated it more than she could know.

"No. Matthew helped me through one of.. one of the hardest times in my life. He was there for me when no one else was, despite his parents not liking me. And now he's gone... And I miss him Derek.", she said, a tear slipping down her cheek, her voice more broken than he'd ever heard.

"I know princess.", he said, because really, that's all you can say.

She shook her head and stood up, as if about to leave, to run away again, but he stopped her by pulling her into a hug.

At first, her body was tense but eventually she melted into him, and Derek swore he even heard a stifled sob escape into his shoulder.

"Shh, it'll be okay.", he said, whispering it into her hair. "Come on, sit down."

He pulled her into the booth next to him and ran his had up and down her arm as she leaned on his shoulder. For the first time he noticed how exhausted she looked, and realized she probably hadn't slept for days. He was about to say something about this, but she spoke first.

"You remind me a lot of Matthew, you know.", she said, her eyes not quite focused, as if she was replaying a memory.

"Huh... You know what the difference between me and him is though?"

She looked at him questionably.

"I'll never leave. Even if my parents don't like you.", he grinned, finally getting the smallest of smiles out of her.

"I'll always be right here.", he added, squeezing his arm around her.

"Thank you.", Emily whispered, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Always.", he finished, placing a kiss to her forehead as she stared off into the back of the diner, reliving some memory that he hoped he would get to hear about someday.

**[Tell me how you liked it, part two will be up soon!]**


	2. Chapter 2

_5.10, The Slave of Duty_

The atmosphere at the diner that night was somber, which seemed to fit in perfectly with the recent events. No one had talked much on the ride home – not even Garcia had been as chatty.

Wordlessly, Prentiss drove to this place, somehow hoping it would be of some comfort. The rain pelted down against the windows as they settled into their booth.

Somehow, over time, Emily had transitioned over to his side of the table, her head leaning against his shoulder and their knees touching. So that's where she positioned herself then, shutting her eyes.

"What are you thinking?", came the deep voice from above her, and she could feel his words vibrating through his chest.

This question took a second to answer.

"I'm thinking how- how not fair it is for us to love anyone with this job."

He slightly shifted her over so that he was looking into her eyes and raised his eyebrows, even though he understood exactly what she meant. He guessed he'd hoped that it'd never cross her mind, that he could keep those thoughts to himself, but he could only shield her from so much.

"With what we do, it's completely unfair to have anyone in your life – to expose them to that sort of danger every day. Derek, how are we supposed to let anyone into our lives knowing that what happened to Hotch might happen? How do we have kids, or get married, knowing that every day because of this job we're putting them in harm's way?"

He looked into her eyes, and finally saw all of the doubt there. She had thought about it – about a family, kids. He couldn't help a little smile at what a great mother she would make, but it quickly disappeared when he thought about her words.

"I don't know.", he said honestly, as disappointment washed over her face. But what was he supposed to say? Damn, he'd near sworn off ever getting married or having kids for this exact reason.

He had to give her something though. Just because he was hopeless now didn't mean that she had to be as well. He had to give her some type of hope, at least – some reassurance; but he couldn't. Derek couldn't lie to her, so he gave her the plain simple truth.

"Honestly, I have no clue Em. You don't think I've thought about that, you don't think I've imagined a future with some woman and kids down the line?", he said, failing to mention that the only woman he could really imagine any type of future with was her.

"But for now, we have the team. We have each other. And we have some time to maybe figure it out.", he added.

She smiled and looked up at him, falling further into the crook of his arm.

"Maybe you'll forever be the only man in my life, then.", she said playfully.

"I wouldn't mind that one bit.", he responded, smiling and pulling her closer.

_5.19, A Rite of Passage_

"I think you're paying tonight. You still owe me for blowing out my eardrum.", she said, smiling, as they walked into the diner.

Derek didn't smile back though, and she was met with a stony expression that could almost be a scowl.

"Hey, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today. What's up?", she said, genuinely concerned what could make Derek Morgan break his usually cheerful demeanor.

"Nothing.", he said, and his curt response just made Emily more worried.

She slipped into the booth next to him though, but made sure not to be touching him. The lack of contact was strange, because she'd grown so accustomed to his warmth. In the diner, they could just fall into each other and be comforted – and neither of them asked or wondered what they were doing; it was just what it was. Anything shared in the diner was theirs, it was purely for comfort. It was the best relationship she'd had in years.

Emily mulled over what could be making him so mad while she ordered her food. It couldn't be the gun thing, because she knew Derek, and he was not one to get upset over a stupid comment that she made.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated on the table and the name 'Mick' lit up on the screen.

She attempted to pick it up before he saw, but the scowl on his face clearly indicated that he'd already seen the caller ID. Though he had no right to be mad at her. Mick was a nice-ish guy. He was... easy to get along with, he didn't ask for much. He was just what she needed.

"What?", she spit out, suddenly defensive.

"Oh _nothing; _you know, you're free to sleep with any egotistical asshole you'd like.", he said, sarcasm practically oozing out of his words.

"Actually, I am.", she said, moving further away from him. Though as soon as the words came out of her mouth, she regretted them and felt the need to justify herself.

"It's not going anywhere, it's not serious. It's just – a release, for now. Why does it matter to you anyway?", she said softer.

He looked down at his lap, looking like a little boy.

"I just- I don't like him. He's not right for you.", he muttered out.

She turned towards him, shaking her head, her voice louder. "You don't get to decide who's right for me Derek. Since when do you get to tell me who I should and shouldn't date? I sure as hell don't know all the women you sleep with and-", and then his lips were on hers, his arms were pulling her closer.

The kiss was passionate, and full of anger, but somehow, it felt right. She melted into him and all her anger disappeared. When they finally pulled apart, all she could think of to do was put her head on his chest and sigh, because this, just kissing him, was a much better release than Mick had ever been.

_6.02, JJ_

Emily and Derek walked into the door of the diner, hands intertwined, not even caring who saw. Because that night, the need for human contact and comfort was much greater than the fear of the team discovering about their relationship – something they didn't even know how to classify.

"I hate the system sometimes. I mean, we fight for innocent people, we have to believe that the system works, and I do. But at the same time, how can they just take a member of the team away like that? Without a second thought? I just... I'm not sure what I believe anymore Em. And it's terrifying."

She squeezed his hand under the table, surprised for a moment because she had only seen him that vulnerable a handful of times, and it was always so unnerving.

"The system works. At least, that's what we have to convince ourselves of, if we do this job. This – them taking JJ away, you have to think of it as the exception.", she responded quietly, even though she was completely fucking unsure of anything right then.

He nodded and put his arm around her, staring off into space.

"The system didn't work for Ellie either.", he said, his voice much quieter, much more broken. "She lost her dad, basically her entire family, and now she's off in a foster home god-knows where."

Emily saw the conflict on his face whenever he got a call form Ellie. The little girl needed him – he was the one part of her old life she could still hang on to, but he couldn't bare to get too attached. He'd already lost so much.

She said the one reassuring thing she could think of, the one thing she was still hoping for. "Not yet it hasn't. But maybe it will."

"I thought about it, you know. Adopting Ellie.", he said, and the words hit her like a brick. Yes, she knew that he loved the girl, that he needed to protect her, but it hadn't crossed her mind that Derek Morgan, proclaimed bachelor for life, had considered actually adopting this little girl.

"You would make a fantastic dad.", she said honestly.

"Yeah, one that's never home – one that doesn't want to talk to anyone but his partner most of the time.", he paused, his face pained. "And.. I love this job too much to leave. I'm not ready to take care of anyone but myself, especially a kid."

So she replied with the only thing she could think of, "Maybe someday then.", before pressing a kiss to his lips, a subconscious promise for the future.

_6.12, Corazon_

Derek's arm was snaked around her waist as she took another bite of her omelet, for the first time really eating breakfast at the diner. They had just come from his place, and were both pretty hungry.

For the first time since Doyle, Emily felt genuinely happy being with someone. She didn't feel jittery or nervous or worry that it was Ian touching her again – it just felt right. It was like their partnership – it was natural, comfortable, but still somehow hot and new and passionate at the same time.

She smiled as she took a bite of his waffle, recalling the past night's events, and he pulled her in closer.

"Emily, what is this... us? What are we doing?"

The question came unexpectedly, in the middle of a cheerful meal. It's not like she hadn't expected it – she knew it was coming. What she didn't know was how to respond.

There had been kisses and intertwined hands and nights spent at each others houses, but neither of them had put a label on it. They weren't dating, but they were damn well past just friends.

She took a deep breath, knowing it would be hard to explain how she felt. Knowing that it most likely would cost her him, because people wanted relationships, and whenever she said that she didn't, they usually ran. Though she didn't want to lose him, no way in hell.

"I- I don't know. But I like it. It's not complicated, there aren't any strings attached. I don't want to put any labels on it, and I don't know what we are... All I know is that I'm happy Derek, for the first time in a while.", she said truthfully, hoping to God that he wouldn't bolt. She needed him, so much that she was deathly afraid to admit it, even to herself.

"Okay.", he said simply, taking her hand in his.

Emily's mouth dropped open in shock. "Just... okay?", she said, stunned that there was nothing more. She expected an argument, or a break-up, or even a persuasion, but she certainly hadn't expected that.

"Okay. If this is what you want, if this is what makes you happy Princess, then we don't have to do anything differently.", he smiled at her.

She was amazed at how great he was. He was the first guy ever to accept this arrangement, not to pressure her for anything more. And then, for the first time, she felt like she really did want a real relationship – for the first time, she wanted a label.

_6.21, The Stranger_

That day, there was only one person of the regular twosome sitting in the corner booth, head in hands.

It had been a couple weeks, but this is the first time Derek had managed to come here without her. And he knew instantly by the shaking of his hands and the tears pooling in his eyes that it would be the last time too.

He guessed he just needed some more proof that she was really gone, and being in here without her, that's when the grief really hit. He remembered a thousand moments of her laughing here, of gentle reassurances, of light kisses.

Derek let a tear slip down his cheek as all those happy memories were replaced by the ones from the warehouse – the ones with her pale skin and the blood oozing from her stomach. The ones with her hand clinging onto his and her begging him to let her go.

Didn't she know that he couldn't? He was in love with her, so head over heels in love – there was no way he was letting her go. So he held on, but somehow, she slipped away anyway.

His hands began to shake more violently, and he pushed them under the table, squeezing his eyes shut. He could practically hear her laugh, feel her warmth at his side as she leaned into him.

"Hey, can I get you anything?", came the voice of the waiter that had served him and Emily sometimes. Ben. Yeah, that was his name.

"No, thanks.", he said slowly.

"Where's your girlfriend?", Ben asked casually. For the first time, Derek really took him in. He was a gangly kid, probably in high school. He probably had no idea of the horrors in the world. He had no idea what it was like to love someone with your whole being just to watch them die in front of you. So he answered with something that would be easier for the kid to understand, and easier for him to say.

"We broke up."

"Damn, really? Then there's no hope for me – you guys were the most in-love couple I've ever seen. Sorry man.", he said in disbelief, walking away.

And suddenly, Derek couldn't stand it. The anger bubbled up inside him, mixed with the guilt and all he wanted to do was go put a bullet in Ian Doyle's head. He was sure this was the only goal he could work towards – the only thing he could focus on at that moment.

So he did. He walked out of the diner with his heart heavy with guilt and his head determined to do one thing – kill the man who'd taken Emily away.

_7.03, Dorado Falls_

The ride to the diner was almost painful. They both wanted so much to get back to the place that they used to be, but both knew that things would never be the same.

Emily sat down at the red booth, looking around. "Wow, it hasn't changed a bit."

He didn't quite know how to respond, since he'd only been there once in her absence. If he was being honest, he'd say he never thought he'd be coming back to this place.

There was a couple minutes of awkward silence, probably the first ever to occur here. And Derek found that he couldn't take it. Them – they had always been so comfortable with each other, that was the one thing that made them _them_. And he wasn't about to let that go.

He knew that the only way to get past the awkwardness was to talk it out, so he took the initiative, no matter how much it hurt.

"You have no idea how much I missed you.", he said, looking into her eyes.

"I missed you too Derek. I missed us.", she replied, her dark eyes shining with tears. "And I'm so sorry for those seven months. I couldn't –... if I had a choice, I would have told you, you know that right? You would have been the first one to know.", she said with sincerity and pain in her voice.

And all he could think of was that it was her, undoubtedly. She was here, she was real, and so he did the only thing that he could think of – he took her hand in his, where it just felt oh-so right, and planned on never letting go again.

"I know."

_7.24, Run_

When the hype from the wedding had finally died down, Derek and Emily ended up in the diner, with the topic of her leaving on both of their minds. Emily knew she'd gotten his approval, she knew he understood, but she also knew that it wasn't honest. He had something to say about her decision, and she wanted to hear it.

"How do you really feel about me leaving?", she asked.

He looked up at her, that broken look on his face, and responded. "Honestly, I'm so angry. I'm angry and I'm upset because Emily I already lost you once – and it was hell. Now you came back and we'd just managed to get back what we had, and now you've decided that you're leaving again. So I'm pretty mad, and I'm going fucking insane trying to figure out how I'm going to live without you again."

She looked into his eyes, completely stunned that he had thought that her leaving the BAU meant that she was breaking up with him. He'd been her solid ground the whole time she'd been back – the furthest thing from her mind was letting him go.

"Derek I'm leaving the team, I'm not leaving you.", she said in a gentle voice, and watched as his face suddenly became hopeful.

"I just can't deal with the job anymore, but you, you're the only one still getting me through the days. I love you. You're the only thing I'm still sure of. And... yes.", she said, breaking into a smile.

He took a minute to figure out what she was talking about but when he did, his face lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

He dug into his pocket and produced the diamond ring that he'd been carrying with him since his failed proposal a long time ago. And now, finally, she had said yes. _She'd said yes._

Automatically, he slipped out of the booth and got on one knee – he was going to do this right. "Emily Prentiss, will you marry me?"

She just smiled and pulled him up, her lips meeting his in a passionate kiss. An answer wasn't necessary – he already knew what it would be.

And right then, there, was when Derek Morgan realized that his partner leaving the team was not an end, but rather a whole new beginning.


End file.
